Our most treasured pieces of jewellery are often the ones that tell a story - it could be a reminder of a place you visited, a family heirloom, or made from stones millions of years old. The jewellery made by Sian Botswick, however, doesn't just tell a story, but it inspired by them as well.

A silversmith from Kent, Sian creates unique pieces based on stories such Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea, the fairytale like Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, and the Arthurian legend of Tristan & Iseult.

Ranging in price from £50 - £400, each piece has its own story tell and is handcrafted from silver, oxidised silver, gold plating, and anodised titanium.

Sian's jewellery is accessible to everyone, even if you are not a fan of these enchanted tales. The theme is in no way intrusive to the design, but is subtly integrated. For example, a heart pendent from the Wonderland collection features all the card suits; for those who love the Alice stories, this will be a nostalgic motif, but the reference is not so heavy handed as to put other people off.

I myself have no interest in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea, yet I adore her Nautilus Deco Bangle.

As well as specific literary works, Sian has also created a Springtime collection, evoking images of enchanted fairytale forests with butterflies and flowers, using a piercing blue anodised titanium.

So what sparked the idea to create jewellery based on literature?

Sian says 'I have always been a big reader, so this has always been a influence on my creative process. I love designing elements and details from the stories into the jewellery, such as with the Nautilus collection's hidden portholes, the Wonderland collection's hearts feature Alice's tumble down the rabbit hole, the royal crest of wonderland, and much more. As each piece is delivered with a vintage style library card with it's inspirational book ticked off, I love that the wearer will know the story and carry the wonder of it with them as well as enjoying the beauty of the piece as a stunning jewel.
I love digging around in one of Rochester's many second hand bookshops to find the next story that will inspire me.

Do you plan to expand the range to other fairy tales and stories?

'I am launching the companion pieces to my Tristan jewels this year, the Iseult jewellery will pair with the Tristan jewellery and feature beautiful ombre oxidised chains and romantic detail derived from the Victorian art work created around the legend. The perfect coupled collection tells the tale of a tragic love affair in twelfth century Cornwall.

After these have launched I haven’t decided what is to come next; it will be a story inspired by a beautiful tale or book. I recently found some beautiful editions of The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám and the Water Babies but I don’t what will inspire me next. It all depends on which book and fascinating literary tale catches my eye while exploring one of Rochester many tardis like bookshops.'